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A warning has gone out to Martin County residents that criminals are raiding local U.S. Post Offices and stealing large bags of incoming mail.
In a Facebook post on Friday, along with recorded messages sent by phone, the Sheriff's Office urged anyone who had recently mailed checks through the Postal Service to check their bank accounts and verify that payments had been received by the intended recipients.
"This is the first time in my memory that we've actually had offenders go onto a federal property, that being a postal facility, and taking mail."
Sheriff William Snyder tells CBS 12 News these criminals are likely part of a check-washing operation-where they steal checks, erase the original details, and then rewrite new amounts and payees.
Post offices in Stuart, Hobe Sound and Palm City were targeted.